Why does my cat bite me?

How to read it

Love bites are the mild mouthings some cats give a hand, sometimes with the light touch of a fang. Michele Gaspar, a board-certified feline practitioner writing for the Veterinary Information Network, reads them as a stronger form of the facial marking cats use to show affection to other cats, people and objects. She notes that pulling the hand away can bring on a harder grab and bite. A bite during stroking is different: the ASPCA describes a cat that suddenly feels irritated by being petted, nips or lightly bites, then jumps up and runs off.

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Petting-induced aggression

VCA’s board-certified veterinary behaviourists (Ellen Lindell, Debra Horwitz and Gary Landsberg) describe a cat that seems comfortable in a lap, then turns, bites and runs away. They call it “don’t pet me” aggression and say the reasons differ from cat to cat and aren’t clear in every case. Cornell’s Feline Health Center gives two possible explanations: overstimulation, and the cat trying to control when the petting ends. The ASPCA says behaviourists think stroking repeated over and over can quickly become unpleasant, and that this kind of aggression is more common in males than in females.

VCA adds two other readings. Many cats like being close to people for warmth and company but don’t want to be stroked. And a cat that approaches may be asking for something else, such as play or food, and bite out of frustration at getting “only” a pet.

Signs before a bite

The lists vets give overlap. The ASPCA names a quick turn of the head towards the hand, a twitching or flipping tail, ears flattening or rotating forward and back, restlessness and dilating pupils. Cornell names dilated pupils, a lashing tail and ears moved back. International Cat Care adds freezing, tensing, the skin rippling along the back, nose licking and a brief shake of the head. More on these signals: tail positions and Cat ear positions.

Play biting and the belly

Rough play is common in cats under two, and the ASPCA calls play aggression the most common kind of aggression cats direct at their owners. Kittens learn not to bite too hard from their mother and littermates (Cats Protection); Cornell says cats raised alone may not learn it. A belly on show is another common moment for a bite. Cats Protection says many cats roll onto their backs as a greeting, and most merely tolerate or dislike a tummy rub, which can end in a scratch or bite. International Cat Care reads the roll as trust or as an invitation to rough play.

Biting from pain

Cornell says cats in pain, for example with osteoarthritis, may bite or scratch to avoid being touched. VCA says pain should be considered if a cat bites mainly when one part of its body is stroked. If this is new or comes with other changes, check with your vet.